Microsoft Forefront is no longer supported by Microsoft, which means there will be no new updates to guard against new viruses.

UAB IT recommends that faculty, staff and students use Microsoft Security Essentials on their home machines that have Windows 7 and Vista. Machines using Windows 8 or higher have Windows Defender built in.

Mac users should continue to use Sophos anti-virus, which faculty, staff and students can download for free through UAB IT.

Adobe FormsCentral is retiring July 28, but UAB IT can help in the transition. UAB IT offers Adobe Acrobat for download at a discount.

After July 28, users of Adobe FormsCentral will no longer be able to create new forms or collect responses using FormsCentral. Adobe recommends that users immediately export responses to a file type of your choice — and convert your FormsCentral forms to PDFs, if desired. You will NOT be able to do so once FormsCentral expires.

Adobe Acrobat can be used to collect form data automatically and compile it in a table format. Data can be exported to a spreadsheet for further analysis or to create charts for summary reports.

Microsoft on Monday released a critical patch outside of its normal patching cycle.

The update fixes a vulnerability in Windows that could allow an attacker to execute code on a system if they can convince the user to open a specially crafted document, or have them visit an untrusted webpage that contains embedded OpenType fonts.

The update, which requires a system reboot, was released to all UAB IT Desktop-supported machines at 4 p.m. Monday. Users have 72 hours to let the patch install and reboot the system. Users should get a notification bubble pop up at the system tray. After 72 hours, if a user has not allowed the patch to install, it will install automatically and the system will be forced to reboot.

UAB IT urges users to find an opportune time to let the patch install and allow the reboot occur to help protect UAB systems and information.

UAB IT’s SPARK initiative, which has generated more than 60 ideas since its inception last month, inspired an easy win for campus: an increase in the size limit for files uploaded to the UAB Dropbox.

The UAB Dropbox will now accept single file uploads as large as 4 Gb, doubling the previous size allowed.

Ed Harris, assistant director of systems and server support for UAB IT, said he was inspired to increase the limit by a comment on SPARK from Dan Willson, senior systems analyst for the Office of Public Relations and Marketing.

The easy fix is the kind of win for UAB that Curtis A. Carver Jr., vice president for information technology, was hoping for with the new SPARK site — along with bold new ideas in technology.

“We invite everyone in the UAB community to share your ideas with us,” he said. “We’re looking for at least 100 technology-related wins for UAB, and those ideas can be small or large.”

Dropbox allows campus users to share documents that are larger than the size limit allowed by campus e-mail.

The UAB Dropbox averages about 10,000 uses per year, mainly to transfer spreadsheets and other office documents.

Windows 10 is coming July 29, and UAB IT is hosting a preview of the upgrade with Microsoft representatives.

Those representatives will be on site at noon Thursday, July 23, at Cudworth Hall (CEC 140) for a Windows 10 overview.

Windows 10 has familiar features, including an expanded Start Menu, and your pinned apps and favorites will be integrated in the upgrade. Windows 10 also includes Microsoft Edge, a new browser designed to give users a better web experience.

UAB IT has launched an ambitious project to rethink how it serves customers across the UAB campus.

The reThink Project will introduce standardized services and management processes to help the department better serve customers.

UAB IT will also implement ServiceNow, an industry-leading tool, to give customers one door into IT, through a customized online self-service portal where they can request services, report problems and search a knowledge base for answers to common issues.

“The reThink Project will transform the customer service experience with UAB IT,” said Curt Carver, UAB chief information officer and vice president for information technology.

Campus IT personnel in departments and schools across UAB will be invited to participate in the reThink Project.

UAB IT has chosen ServiceNow for its self-service portal for customers, but before IT employees can configure and implement the new tool, they are redesigning the department’s processes for responding to customer requests and incidents.

The focus is on providing end-to-end services to customers — and a cleaner service catalog that is easier for users to understand.

UAB IT will spend much of this year examining its processes for incident management, service request management and problem management, implementing those processes in the new tool, and testing the tool with IT users and functional users.

The go live date for the new self-service portal is expected in January 2016.

The Adobe Creative Cloud course descriptions can be found in the Computer Skills Course Catalog. Just click on the “Adobe Creative Cloud Classes” link in the Table of Contents.

The training will give users a chance to learn about existing features and new ways to use them, as well as learn about new features now available in Creative Cloud.

“This is a new, more comprehensive curriculum to match the software for new and experienced users alike,” said Michael Maner, manager of computer skills training for UAB Organizational Learning and Development.

• What You Need to Know to Get Started with Adobe Photoshop CC; Beyond the Basics in Adobe Photoshop CC; Create Professional Layouts with Adobe InDesign CC; Creating Visually Compelling and Flexible Graphics Using Adobe Illustrator CC; and Create and Modify PDF Documents in Adobe Acrobat XI.

Classes available in the near future are Adobe InDesign CC Advanced Layout Techniques and Beyond the Basics in Adobe Illustrator CC.

If you need to change your BlazerID password, you can visit BlazerID Central at uab.edu/blazerid. Student passwords expire after 180 days, but you will receive multiple advance notifications of a pending password expiration date. Sign up for the Identity feature at BlazerID Central so that you can reset an expired password yourself.

BlazerNet

Using your BlazerID and password, log into BlazerNet, UAB's student portal, uab.edu/blazernet. From there you will be able to link to class registration, grades, financial aid and other academic resources.

Help Desk

For support with all things IT contact AskIT, UAB's IT help desk. Many self-help articles and FAQs are available on the AskIT Web site. To access the FAQs, open a ticket or chat with an agent visit uab.edu/askit,or call AskIT at 205-996-5555. Hours of operation vary and are posted on the Web site.

Wireless Networks

Stay connected on campus by accessing the UAB WiFi network using your BlazerID and password:uab.edu/it/wireless.Dorm WiFi access is maintained by Apogee ResNet, not UAB IT. For information about how to contact Apogee, click here.